Theater Manu
 Teater Manu is located at Grunerløkkas hus in Schleppegrells gate 32 | |
| Coordinates | Oslo, Norge |
|---|---|
| Opened | 2001 |
| Tenants | |
| Director Mira Zuckermann | |
| Website | |
| http://www.teatermanu.no | |
Theater Manu is an Oslo based theater that tours the world with its sign language related art form. The theater has been run by Mira Zuckermann since 1. august 2000.
The theatre was founded by the Norwegian federation for the hearing impaired in 2003. However, the theatres were created in 2001 by the Norwegian Parliament. Consequently, it celebrated its 10th year anniversary in December 2011. The goal of the teater is to become the best theater in the world related to arts that stem from the culture and the environment of people who are hearing impaired.
Theater Manu receives grants from the Norwegian state budget. Furthermore, its board is appointed by the Norwegian Deaf Federation and the Ministry of Culture. Currently, Jon Evang is the chairman of the board appointed by the Ministry of Culture.
The Theaters location[edit]
The teater is currently located in the picturesque district of Grunerløkka in Oslo, more specifically at Schleppegrells gate32. The entrance of the theater is located at Christies gate. The housing complex based in Schleppegrells gate 32 is a part of Fagerheimen which was built in 1932 by architect Henrik Nissen d.y. and Gunnar Brynning). The initial building was coined “ Grünerløkka Folkets hus”, which can be translated to the people’s house at Grünerløkka. However, the complex was sold by the “ Folkets Hus”-movement and rebranded under the name “Grünerløkka hus”. The theater venues were refurbished in 2016 and 2017 and reopened in April 2017.
The theatre is located near Birkelunden park, Dælenenga soccer court, The Shamrock pub and Black Box teater.
History[edit]
The begin of the hearing-impaired community in Norway[edit]
The first hearing impaired community in Norway began in 1815 when Andreas Christian Møller (1796-1874), who was himself hearing impaired, held private tutoring sessions for four deaf students in Trondhjem. Ten years later, the first public hearing-impaired school saw the light of day in the city of Trondhjem. From 1848, public schools for the hearing impaired could be found in other large Norwegian cities such as Kristiania, Bergen and Kristiansand.
Several interesting forms of child-culture could be found at these schools. One example of such is that the older hearing-impaired students would often tell stories to the younger students. These stories could take on many different forms such as nonfiction, fairy tales, jokes or poetry. The culture of the hearing-impaired community is characterized by being a visual experience of their own existence stemming from experiences that they have bad. These experiences are often expressed through the use of sign language.
One important trait of sign language is iconicity which in short entails that the terms expressed through sign language has both a form and a meaning, giving the language a deeper level of understanding. Spoken languages possess this trait as well, but often lack the possibility of explaining the world in a visual manner.
Theater life among the hearing impaired in the olden days[edit]
Older documents indicate that hearing impaired in Kristiania partook in theatrical plays from as early as 1891. The play “No” by Johan Ludvig Heiberg, was acted by the hearing-impaired amateur actors Axel Fleischer, Hermana Bergh, Charles Leisner and Bjune. Some plays utilized both sign language as well as spoken language. An example of such is the play “L’Enfant terrible” which was presented in 1893 with hearing impaired actors at stages such as [[Det Norske Studentersamfund]|The Norwegian Student Society]], Tivoliteateret in Kristiania, Moss and finally Drammen. The non- hearing-impaired crowd showed their excitement for the play by waving their handkerchief instead of applauding as they knew the actors were deaf.
As time passed, the students at the hearing-impaired schools would often tell one another different stories during recess. These stories as well as sign language blossomed and continuously grew despite the fact that the language was disregarded in classrooms across Norway in favor of the oral teaching methods employed in the late 1800. However, the language lived on by being practiced in many different settings such as in unions, sport clubs and Church.
Throughout the years, there have been several plays that have been portrayed by actors from the hearing-impaired community. These would come in many different forms such as playwrights, sketches and declamations.
Organized forms of culture in the hearing-impaired community[edit]
Naturally, the Norwegian Association for the hearing-impaired held gatherings with a cultural subtext for the hearing-impaired community across the country. During these yearly gatherings, which saw the light of day in 1967, it was common to act out a different play. These gatherings still exist to this day and have consequently exposed the hearing-impaired community to a large amount of plays acted out in sign language with actors from Norway. In the earlier days, the actors were often amateurs. Nevertheless, they managed to convey that it was indeed possible for the hearing impaired to partake in the theatre through the use of sign language.
The Norwegian Association for the hearing impaired had a vision to educate more deaf actors. However, this proved to be quite difficult due to a lack of financial aids.
Mira Zuckermann is often seen as being one of the pioneers within the field of theater for the hearing impaired. She was an amateur actress that had the dream of building a professional theatre that conveyed its message through the use of sign language. Mira Zuckermann worked hard for the prior theatre to be established. She actively persuaded the Norwegian Association for the hearing impaired to contact the Norwegian authorities. In 1982, Trønderlag Theatre commenced the production of the play “Children of a Lesser God”. However, they lacked someone to play the role of the deaf women “Sarah Norman”. Mira Zuckermann auditioned an subsequently got the part making her the first professional hearing-impaired actor in Norway. [1]
In 1987, the Norwegian Association of the hearing impaired struck a deal with Riksteatret, a Norwegian touring theatre, to adapt a play. Said play was adapted by none other than Mira Zuckerman. A year later, she played in “The Strongest” written by August Strindberg at “ Riksteateret”[2]. Subsequently, she solidified her role as one of the pioneers within the field of theatre for the hearing impaired.
The Association ordered another adaptation in 1997. This time around it was decided that the play “Theatre for the hearing impaired in Norway”, written by Gry Wie, Terje Hartviksen and Einar Dahl, would be pursued. As with the previous adaption, the play become a massive success which indicated that there was a demand and a necessity for a professional theatre for the hearing impaired in Norway. This necessity became even more obvious due to the fact that the hearing impaired are
a group of people who unfortunately experience isolation, neglection, and even physical abuse. Despite this fact, they exude an aura of enthusiasm and a strong wish to one day get their own theatre. We coincidentally conclude the danger of creating a theatre for the hearing impaired based on preconceived biases based on social political, educational and even healthcare related reasons.”
— Quote from the report
The report strongly emphasized that artforms based on the premises of the hearing impaired should be pursued to a larger extent. The report was gathered by interviewing 45 key persons within the hearing-impaired community in both Norway and Sweden and even people who weren't hearing impaired.
In 1998, the first budget application was sent to the Ministry of Culture.
Theater on trial[edit]
A three-year long project was initiated on the 1st of January 1999 in order to create a professional theatre for the hearing impaired. The project was established at Ål Folkehøyskole and the course center for the hearing impaired. They received a grant of 3,5 million NOK during their first year. Their goal was to achieve a high degree of artistic quality and professionalism for sign language as an artistic manner to express oneself in the theatre. An additional goal was to show plays which had been translated to sign language, or self-produced plays in sign language. The following year, the project received an additional grant of 6.1 million NOK which was to be used in collaboration with Riksteatret, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, The Norwegian Association of the Deaf (NDF), Ål Folkehøyskole and the course center for the hearing impaired and Døved Media. Furthermore, Mira Zuckermann was employed as the head of the theatre on the 1.august 2001 which she still holds to this day.
During the trial periods of the project, several performances of the play “ Hjelp, vi får gjester! (1999) ( Help, the guests are arriving!”) was held.[3] This was the first professional performance of a play in sign language in Norway. Later that year, the Norwegian Parliament decided that the theatre would be allowed to continue on and would be based in Oslo. The newly established theatre moved to Sven Bruns gate 7 which marks the birth of Teater Manu.
The Theater foundation[edit]
On Thursday, January 16, 2003 at 14:00, the Norwegian Sign Language Theater Foundation was established by the NDF. Mira Zuckermann was employed as head of the foundation and received 10 000 NOK as initial funding. A year later, the theatre changed its name to Theater Manu and moved into their current location in Schleppegrells gate 32 at Grünerløkka house of culture.
Administration[edit]
The board[edit]
Teater Manus board consists of the following members as of the 1st September 2017 [4]
- Jon Evang, Chairman of the Board (Ministry of Culture)
- Brit Sæther Liltvedt, Deputy (Norwegian Deaf Federation)
- Thomas Blix, Board member (Norway's Association of the Deaf)
- Elisabeth Egseth Hansen, Board Member (Ministry of Culture)
- Kristin Fuglås Våge, Board member (Norwegian Deaf Federation)
- Steinar Vestli, vara (Ministry of Culture)
- Hanne Kvitvær, vara (Norway's Deaf Association)
Strategy[edit]
Purpose[edit]
Theater Manus's purpose is to be a touring theater that act out plays through the use of sign language for children, youth and adults.
Main Goal[edit]
Theatre Manu will continue to strengthen and develop sign language as an artform expressed on stage through high quality stage plays. Theatre Manu will increase the interest in sign language theatre and highlight the culture of the hearing impaired.
Vision[edit]
The theatres vision is to become the best sign language theatre in the world.
Finance[edit]
Currently, Theatre Manu receives financial aid through a fixed post in the state budget under chapter 323. Furthermore, it received 15,46 million NOK in 2017 to fund the theatre.
Artistic Business[edit]
Stage Language[edit]
The theatres plays are expressed through the use of sign language. Audience members who can hear get the plays which are acted out through sign language translated by hearing voice actors. This practice is a result of Theatre Manus goal to become a theatre for everyone, even for those who do not understand sign language.
Collaboration with other theaters[edit]
Theater Manus has collaborated with many different theatres in Norway and from the rest of the world. In Norway, the theatre has work together with Riksteateret for many years. Furthermore, international theatres such as Tyst Teater in Sweden, Glad Theater in Denmark and Deaf West Theatre in the U.S are among many of the international collaborators.
The theater has also participated in a wide variety of international festivals such as Deaf Way II in 2002, Deaf Art Now in 2004, Clin d´oeil in 2005-2017 and Nonstop international teaterfestival in 2018.
Culturcafe[edit]
One of the many other events that take place at Theater Maus is Culturcafe. The premise of this event is for the audience members to meet the actors as well as gather information concerning some specific plays along with meeting the director and writers. Other events such as lectures, screenings and discussion topics take place at the Theatre.
Theatre workshop[edit]
To ensure that competent actors are available within the hearing-impaired community, the theatre hosts several workshops aimed at improving the acting skills of hearing-impaired children. To this day, four workshops have been held during the time period of 2005-2006, 2007-2008,2013-2014 and 2016-2017. Several of the children that partook in the workshops have later on been seen on the stage during one of the theatres many plays.
Education and research[edit]
Theater Manu has previously organized a several classes in collaboration with the Oslo Academy of Fine Arts. The students that partook in the course “From dramatic text to scenic sign language” would be eligible for 10 school credits.
Sign language as a stage language has also been studied upon. Live Herheim wrote her master thesis: Kunne det vært annerledes? Teater Manu – Norsk Tegnspråkteater, et tradisjonelt og litterært teater (2004) (Could it have been any different? Teater Manu - Norwegian sign language theatre, a literary and traditional theatre). Other authors such as Rolf Piene Halvorsen and Svein Arne Petterson have written books regarding the subject matter. Examples of such books are “Fra skrift til tegn. Om å oversette fra Peer Gynt til Norsk tegnspråk” which could be found in the book “ Tegn som språk – En antologi om tegnspråk.”
Theatre Manu as a workplace[edit]
Theatre Manu is a workplace where the majority of the communication done between the staff is done through the use of sign language. As a result of this, the majority of the workforce are hearing impaired. Employees who can't utilize sign language have the possibility to partake in training courses to learn it. If the latter isn't an available option, the theatre also employs translators who actively translate between those who know sign language and those who don't
The theatre is multicultural and has employed people from many different parts of the world such as Israel, Poland, Turkye, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Island and the U.S.A.
Awards and Achievements[edit]
Theatre Manu has received many awards for the plays that they have held.
In 2010, the theatre was nominated for 3 “ Heddapriser”, a Norwegian theatre award, for the play Pinocchio(2009). Ipek D. Mehlum was nominated in the category Lead Actress of the Year. Kjersti Fjeldstad was nominated for both Best performance by Children or Youth and Exceptional artistic effort.
The theatre also received the award for “ Artistic performance of the Year”, from the Norwegian newspaper Natt&Dag in 2011, for their play “ Jeg var Fritz Moen” (I Was Fritz Moen). The play was a result of a collaboration between the theatre and Riksteateret.
In 2012, the theater was yet again nominated for a “Heddapris” for their play “Jeg var Fritz Moen”(2011), which was directed by Kjersti Horn
In 2013 the theatre won the “Heddapris” in the category Best audiovisual design of the Year for their production “ Jack and the beanstalk from 2012.
ˍ[edit]
Referanser[edit]
- ↑ "Guds forsømte barn" (no). www.sceneweb.no. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
- ↑ "Den sterkeste" (no). www.sceneweb.no. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
- ↑ "Hjelp, vi får gjester!" (no). www.sceneweb.no. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
- ↑ "Strategi og Styre — Teater Manu" (no). Retrieved 2017-09-01.
Litteratur[edit]
- Schröder, Odd-Inge, Historien om Teater Manu, norsk tegnspråkteater i Teater Manus jubileumsalbum (2011)
Eksterne lenker[edit]
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